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National Geographic : 1973 Jun
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whale. Fascinated, I watch the swarm balloon still larger, wrapping its prey in a frenzied shroud of death (below). After two hours, only seawater remains. For some unknown reason, the micro scopic attackers spare healthy larvae. But even normal young corals lack adequate defenses against the ocean's gamut of perils, and millions succumb before they can mature. Reef-building varieties thrive in water that is both warm-68° to 86° F.-and shallow less than 180 feet. But such favorable con ditions also support hordes of their enemies -not only protozoans but also crustaceans, fish, worms, clams, and starfish that feed on plankton and mature corals. Nature's spendthrift way compensates for such calamity. By spawning billions of young, the corals ensure that enough survive to perpetuate the species-and the reef. CORALLARVAANDHOLOTRICHCILIATEPROTOZOAMAGNIFIED68 TIMES (UPPERLEFT), 85 TIMES(LOWERLEFT), AND130 TIMES (BELOW)
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